How to Irrigate Foley Catheters
Foley catheters are thin, sterile tubes inserted into a bladder to drain urine. Also referred to as indwelling catheters because they can be left in the bladder for a period of time, they are used for individuals with prostate cancer, spinal traumas and post surgery. Many times a catheter becomes plugged and needs to be removed, which is called irrigation. To do so is as simple as inserting a normal saline (NS) into the catheter.
Items Needed:
- Gloves
- Two syringes
- Normal saline (NS)
- Towels
- Rubbing alcohol/swabs
- Cotton balls
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 15 to 20 seconds or use an alcohol hand sanitizer. Dry your hands and then put on the gloves.
- Arrange the items for easy access during the irrigation procedure.
- Use an alcohol swab or cotton ball dipped in alcohol to properly sterilize the area where the catheter tubing and drainage bag tubing connect with and allow to air dry. Do not blow on or fan the site to dry.
- Open a catheter tip syringe package. Remember that the tip must remain sterile, so do not allow it to make contact with anything.
- Draw up your NS into the sterile syringe.
- Put your towel underneath the catheter and a with twist disconnect the catheter from the drainage tubing.
- Cover the end of the tubing with a connection cover/cap to ensure its cleanliness. Take the catheter tubing with one hand and the drainage bag tubing in the other hand, and pull the two tubes apart.
- Insert an empty syringe into the catheter and pull back on the plunger to see if any urine is in the bladder. If urine comes out, gently drain the urine and then remove the syringe from the catheter.
- Insert the syringe of NS into the catheter. Slowly and steadily push on the plunger to squeeze the irrigation solution into the catheter.
- Wipe the connection site of the syringe and catheter tubing with alcohol and allow to air dry.
- Remove the catheter cap/cover from the drainage bag, and thoroughly sterilize the tip of the tubing with your alcohol wipe or cotton ball and wait for it to air dry.
- Remove the syringe from the catheter and reconnect the Foley catheter tubing and the drainage bag tubing.
- Remove your gloves and wash your hands.